Somewhere deep down in his heart
by ChibiChibi
Summary: *Complete* It's a sudden idea I had of a fic. It's B/V Romance, even if it doesn't seem so at the beginning. Pan travels back to the past to find something out... (I know I suck at summaries, so please read and find out.).


I know, I had this story already posted, but I did it again for those of you, who haven't and maybe still want to read it! ^^  
  
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**Disclaimer**_: _I don't own Dragonball Z/GT.  
  
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This is a sudden idea I had of a story. It's definitely  a Bulma/Vegeta Romance, even if there isn't much B/V in it.  
  
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Ages:**

Pan                              24

Young Vegeta              about 28  
  


  
  


Somewhere deep down in his heart  
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It was a normal day at Capsule Corporation. Vegeta was training in the gravity room, Bulma was working in her lab, so Trunks, who got a day off of work, and Pan were sitting in the living room on the couch, watching TV and cuddling a bit. They were just in a deep kiss, as they first heard a loud noise on the outside and then the sound of an angry Saiyan Prince coming into the house.

"Woman!" he yelled, but there didn't come an answer. "WOMAN!"

Trunks sighed and got up from the couch, leaving the living room. "Dad! Mom is in the lab, working on one of her inventions."

Vegeta just grunted and walked along the hallway to the laboratory. Trunks shrugged and walked back to the living room.

"The gravity room broke down again?" Pan asked and Trunks just nodded, letting himself fall next to her and it didn't take long for them to hear one of the almost daily fights between Bulma and Vegeta.

"Woman! This damn gravity machine broke down again. Go and fix it!"

"No, Vegeta! No, no, no! I'm working here and don't have time for it now."

"You'll do it! NOW!"

"NO!" With that, Pan and Trunks heard a door slam.

Trunks winced, somehow wishing he had to work that day, but he took a day off, to spend some time his girlfriend. He sighed. "Maybe we should have gone to you today…"

"Why? This was just their fight of the day… It's their way to show each other how much they love each other." Pan said and snuggled up to him.

"Yeah… I'm sure my mother loves him, but sometimes I really do doubt that my father is capable to love and to care."

"Oh Trunks… Don't think of that. I'm sure somewhere deep down in his heart, he is. And now, let's stop talking about it."

"Okay Panny." he said and kissed her softly on the lips.

A few hours later, Bulma called everyone, and she meant everyone, to come into her lab, because she had to show them her new invention. And so the whole Z gang was gathered at the laboratory, waiting for Bulma to show, what she has built. She cleared her throat to get the attention of everybody. "Okay, I guess you all know why you're here, so I will make it short."  she pulled at a cloth and revealed a machine, which most of the fighters immediately recognized. 

"But… This is…" 

"A time machine. Right Gohan." Bulma said smiling. "I knew when my other self could build it, I can do it as well."

"But why?" Goten wanted to know.

"Because we never know if there'll be a new threat in the future. And I'll better be prepared to make a trip to the past. And maybe we can use this baby for other things…" 

Pan listened intensely to Bulma. She has heard of the time machine Mirai Trunks had through tales of her father, but she found it really exciting that there's now also one in their timeline.

"And in case we don't want anyone to remember a visit of us, I've also invented this." Bulma showed them small bags with something white in it. "This is a powder. You can do it in the drink of someone and within a few minutes he will fall in a deep sleep and when he wakes up, he won't remember anything about your visit and those memories will be replaced by others."

"Wow, mom. That's really great." Trunks complimented her.

Pan watched, how everyone was talking to Bulma and complimenting her. Everyone but Vegeta. That was when it hit her. 'I'm sure my mother loves him, but sometimes I really do doubt that my father is capable to love and to care.' Now she had an idea how to find out if Trunks was right. 

The same night, Pan sneaked out of her and Trunks room at CC, placing a small note next to Trunks, telling him that she would be gone for a few days and that he shouldn't be worried. She then took her small bag, she has packed before, and left the room. Carefully that no one would notice her, she went to the lab. She switched on the lights, automatically activating all computers in the room and in the middle of the lab there it was. The time machine. Taking a deep breath, she climbed into it and smiled. Bulma had built this machine, so that really everyone could use it. 'Mmh, how far do I have to go back… I want to meet him, before he came to earth the first time… That makes forty years.' Pan quickly typed in the date and then pushed on the take off button. The door of the time machine closed and within seconds it was gone.

Bulma woke up with a start as she heard something in her laboratory. She quickly got up and went to it, but she could just see, how the time machine disappeared in a glaring light. "Oh shit…" she turned around and went back to the bedroom. "Vegeta! Wake up! Someone stole the time machine!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As Pan woke up, she found herself and the time machine in a desert. She didn't even notice, how she lost her consciousness, but she could say, that doing a trip with the time machine is not a thing she wanted to do every day. She looked at the instruments in the machine, and they told her that she was exactly where she wanted to be. Pan took her bag, left the machine and turned it into a capsule. "Okay, where to go now? He told us once, that about one week before he came to earth, he and Nappa made a stopover on a planet not far from earth. Let's see if I can find him." she mumbled, put two fingers at her forehead and after a few seconds, smiled. "Ha, found ya! I'm coming." With that, she disappeared.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"How could Pan do that?" Gohan asked exasperated. After Bulma woke up Vegeta, she went to Trunks and Bra and noticed at once, that Pan was gone. And according to the note Trunks found, it must have been her, who stole the time machine. Bulma immediately called Gohan, and within a few minutes, he, Videl, Goten and ChiChi were there.

"I don't know…" Trunks simply said. He was obviously deeply worried. Thinking about what he could have said or done in the last time, causing her to do that.

"Vegeta, you're so silent the whole time." Bulma stated. "You're one of the people who knows Pan best. Why could she have done something like that?"

"I don't know woman. But you shouldn't be worried about her. She's strong and she will come back safe." Vegeta answered and left the room.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pan stared in awe at her surroundings. Had she just a few seconds before been in a desert, she was now in something that looked like a big city. She again searched his ki and after she found it, she began to walk through the streets, which were surrounded by very high, strange formed buildings. During her walk, she noticed that there were many different races of aliens, and so she guessed that this must be some kind of planet, where aliens made stopovers while travelling to other planets. A few minutes later, she stood in front of a small building, which looked a lot like a bar, or something like that. She looked around and searched for a place to change clothes, because with the clothes she was wearing now, blue jeans and a red tank top, he wouldn't notice her. She smirked as she spotted a small and lonely alley. 'That should work.'

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Hey Vegeta! Why do we have to leave again in one week? I like this place." Nappa wanted to know, as he looked around, just to find a beautiful alien woman winking at him. On the other side of the small table, a young Vegeta was sitting, looking annoyed and nipping at a glass. 

"Because, Nappa, Radditz has promised those weak earthlings that we will arrive on their pathetic planet one year after his death. And next week, the year's up. And we don't want to disappoint them, or what do you think… And besides, we have to look for those Dragonballs, so that we can finally wish for immortality."

"Of course you're right Vegeta. But I will have some fun as long as we're here." Nappa said and got up, walking to the woman and leaving the bar with her.

Vegeta scowled and shook his head, taking another sip of his drink. "Nappa is becoming weak. I hope wiping out the earthlings will help him." he said smirking, as suddenly his scouter began to beep. 'What? A power level of 1100?' Startled, he looked around, and saw something he didn't await. In the entrance stood a young woman, with long raven black hair, wearing a dark blue Saiyan armor, but an older model, how Vegeta noticed, because of the missing shoulder pads. Even though this woman didn't look much like a Saiyajin, because the tail was missing, and her hair wasn't as wild as the hair of the Saiyan women, he could feel that she had to be one. She had definitely the aura of a Saiyajin and she had the posture of one. This woman had the charisma of one, with the pride and confidence, and the power. All that he could feel at once. 

This woman looked around, and as she spotted him, she began to walk towards him. 

"Can I sit down here?" she asked, trying to sound confident. She has played this scene over and over again in her head, trying to figure out his reaction.

"Do whatever you want." Vegeta answered unfriendly. Pan smirked inwardly. That was exactly the reaction she has awaited from him.

After she sat down, she began to eye him and she noticed immediately that Trunks really looked a lot like him, despite the lavender hair and the blue eyes. "You're prince Vegeta, aren't you?" she asked, trying to build up a conversation, knowing it would be quite difficult.

"Could be. Who wants to know it?"

"Name's Pan."

"Pan isn't a Saiyajin name, and as far as I've noticed, you're one, what is really strange, because our planet was destroyed by an asteroid and me and my companion are the only Saiyans left."

"I am a Saiyajin and I wasn't on the planet at the time it has been destroyed. I've been on a mission." she lied, hoping that Vegeta would buy it, because the Vegeta in her timeline always knew when she was lying.

"Well, that's good. My partner and I will go to planet earth next week. There's another Saiyajin living on this planet, but he refuses to work with us and wants to protect this pathetic race. That's why we want to kill him and the earthlings. Another Saiyajin of our group was killed in a battle one year ago. And since we're missing one person then, you could join us. You're strong, for a woman. It would go a lot faster when you help us." Vegeta offered her. He didn't know what drove him to that, but he just had to trust her.

"I'm sorry, my prince, but I can't come with you. Within the last years I've learned that it's better to cooperate with the different races, than to destroy them. That's the way I survived since our planet was destroyed."

"That's not the way a Saiyajin lives. We Saiyajins are living to fight and to destroy. But I will give you a chance to show me that you are one of us." he said smirking, emptied his drink and got up. "Meet me and my partner at midnight in the fighting arena of this city. I want to test you."

"I will be there." she said, also smirking and with that, Vegeta left.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

Pan was satisfied with her work, as she went to this arena that night. Vegeta seemed to trust her, he had even offered her to join him and Nappa. If he'd only knew what will happen to him in the next weeks, months and years. Pan had to chuckle at this thought, but she still hoped that she could reach him more, than just getting his trust, to find out, if Trunks was right with his suggestion. She looked forward to this fight, but she had to be extremely careful. She had to keep her ki on the same level, and she had to lose the fight, no matter how much she wanted to win it. And one more thing: No turning Super Saiyan. When this happened, she had no chance with her plan.

Luckily for Pan, Vegeta hadn't learned yet, how to hide his ki, so she could always find him, and that meant, she could also find this arena without problems. As she arrived there at midnight, Vegeta and Nappa were already waiting for her. She smiled inwardly, as she saw the two Saiyans. It simply looked too funny. The large Nappa and the small Vegeta next to him.

"Is this the woman?" Nappa asked, as he saw Pan approaching.

"Yes, it's her." Vegeta answered smirking.

"She doesn't look strong. Are you sure you're scouter isn't broken?"

"Check her and see."

Nappa did as he was told and pushed the small button at his scouter. "Wow, you're right. 1100. That's really strong for a merely woman. She might be good for bearing strong brats."

"Hey guys, sorry that I'm late. But I'm ready to fight." Pan said confidently, knowing that none of them could really hurt her.

"Took you long enough, woman." Vegeta said and turned to Nappa. "It's your turn now."

"What? I'm not going to fight the Prince of all Saiyans?" Pan asked somewhat disappointed.

"No, you're not. As you said, I am the Prince. I don't need to fight you. Nappa, attack her."

Vegeta's behavior was pissing Pan off. She was just glad, that his ego shrunk with the years, but still, it was enraging her and she had problems to keep her ki in check. 'Calm down Pan. Don't turn Super Saiyan and ruin everything.' As she tried to calm down, she didn't see Nappa's attack coming, and so it caught her totally by surprise, as she was suddenly hit directly in the jaw, letting her stumble and falling backwards. 'Shit! Pan, calm down and concentrate.' She closed her eyes and waited for the next attack. Nappa didn't wait long with it, and lunged at her, but as he arrived at the place, she was just a second ago, she was gone.

"What?"

"Behind you." Pan said smirking and kicked him in the back and from that moment, they were engaged in a hard fight, well hard for Nappa. For Pan it was just hard to hold back and pretend that he was wearing her out.

Vegeta watched the fight interested, leaning against a tree. It had been a long time ago, since Nappa needed some time to defeat another fighter. This woman really seemed to be something special, and she didn't even have a scouter to locate his positions. She just knew it. And she had the spirit of a true warrior, of a Saiyajin. Yes, she would be a good member for their team, if he could just convince her to help them wiping out entire races. He would talk to her in privacy after this fight.

About half an hour later, Pan decided it was enough and after a punch from Nappa, she let herself fall to the ground, pretending to be unconscious. "Finally." Vegeta mumbled and walked up to her and Nappa, who was panting heavily.

"Wow, you were right, Vegeta. This woman is strong." Nappa told him impressed.

"I told you so. Now go and get some rest. I still have to talk to her when she wakes up again."

"Okay." Nappa just said and left.

Vegeta looked down at the woman and roughly picked her up. 'Light as a feather and yet so strong.' He took off and flew with her to a nearby river, laying her down into the blue grass of that planet, not knowing that Pan was awake the whole time. He walked over to the river and let a bit of the water flowing into the palms of his hand. As he was again next to Pan, he simply spilled it over her face. Startled by this action, Pan sat up abruptly. "You're awake. That's good. I need to talk to you."

"Vegeta…"

"Prince Vegeta." he corrected her. "You were beaten by Nappa, but you are strong. Stronger that Radditz, who died last year. I want you to become a member of our group. What do you say?"

"I don't know. I can't kill innocents, but if you let me come with you, even though I'm not killing innocent people, I accept." 

"Well… Okay, we can always need a good fighter, when we're in trouble… You're in." Vegeta said, but not without ulterior motive. 'Nappa was right. We can still use her for brats. And maybe she will change and begin to like the killing again. She's a Saiyajin after all.'

"Thank you Prince Vegeta… It's an honor. But can I ask you a question?" Pan wanted to know.

"Ask."

"Why do you like this killing? What made you so cold that you could kill a being without second thought?" 

This question took Vegeta by surprise and he turned his back to her. "The killing is in a Saiyajin's blood. I've done nothing else since I was a kid. I was trained to kill. Survival of the fittest. Ever heard of it?" Vegeta asked but didn't turn around to see Pan nodding. "A Saiyajin is trained that way. Kill everyone before they become stronger than you and kill you. That was what I've learned on Frieza's ship."

Pan knew that her next question would be cruel, but she somehow had to find a way to reach him. "Frieza. I've heard much about him. I'm curious. Tell me, what was your life like on his ship?" Pan saw, how Vegeta's body tensed and how his tail, which was swaying lazily behind him the whole time, suddenly was wrapped around his waist.

"Tell me first about your life."

"Well, my life, nothing special. After I've heard that planet Vegeta exploded, I stopped killing people. I felt the need to do it, because I knew that just a few other Saiyajin must've survived, for example you, and I knew I wouldn't have a chance if someone had attacked me, because I was alone. But even though, the loneliness didn't go away. Most people hated me, because of my heritage, other helped me, but just out of pity. Just a few really liked me. I always had to prove myself for being accepted. Then I heard, that you were on this planet, and feeling the urge to meet other Saiyajins, I went here. That was my life." Pan didn't lie completely. She was right with that she always had to prove herself against the world of men in her family, the world of strong warriors, and her overprotective father.

"We should now go back to our rooms. Do you have a place to stay?" Vegeta asked, still not turning to her and not answering her question. Pan, unsatisfied with the result of this talk, shook her head no. "No, I've nowhere to stay."

"Since you're now a member of us, you can stay in the room of Nappa and me. You can sleep on the floor." With that Vegeta took off, followed by Pan.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

In the following few days, Pan was constantly with Vegeta and Nappa and as hard it was to admit, she had some kind of fun with them. Nappa wasn't that a bad guy. He could be really nice, if he wanted and he was loyal to Vegeta. He did even show that he had a heart now and then, unlike Vegeta, from who she just got to know pride, arrogance and anger. Pan couldn't understand, why Vegeta would kill him in a few days. 

Most of the time, they were training for the upcoming battle, and when they were not training, Nappa was telling her stories about their victories in battles, how they destroyed a whole planet after they freed the people there, just because they couldn't sell it, a few months ago, and about the plan to wipe out the entire human race, so that there wouldn't be any half-breeds between Saiyajins and human, who could possibly become stronger than them. As Nappa told her this plan, Pan first was shocked about their cruelty and then had a really hard time to hold her laughter back. If he and Vegeta just knew that she was one of the halfbreeds and girlfriend of another halfbreed, who was by the way the son of the Prince. But she noticed also during this talk, that Vegeta was eyeing her all the time, as if checking her out for something. Could he be attracted to her? She had to find out, but this wouldn't work with Nappa being there, and since she asked this question about Frieza and told her her made-up life, she was never alone again with him. 

Until the same evening. Pan, Vegeta and Nappa had just finished their training in the arena, as Vegeta suddenly turned to Nappa. "Nappa, leave us alone. I have to talk to her." he said smirking.

"Of course." Nappa said, also smirking, and left.

"What was that about?" she asked confused.

"As I said, I need to talk to you." As Vegeta turned around to face her, Pan could see something in his eyes that wasn't there before. There was lust, longing and passion, but not what Pan was looking for. Love. Caring. "You should feel honored. I chose you." he said as he walked up to her, pulling her closer, as he reached her.

"Chose me? For what?" she answered confused.

But he didn't answer. Instead her kissed her, rough and hard. As first reaction, Pan kissed back, but like she saw before in his eyes, it wasn't out of love. She quickly pulled apart, panting heavily. Not that she didn't like the kiss, no, it was great, but it wasn't what she has waited for… And it wasn't Trunks. She didn't even look at him and just took off into the sky, leaving him standing there.

Vegeta watched in confusion as she just left like that. What was wrong with her? He had the impression that she had wanted this the whole time, and now, when he finally did that, she left. And now that she was gone, it felt like there was missing something, but he shook this feeling off, thinking that she just was shocked and went back to their room.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pan flew for about half an hour straight, not knowing where, just away, until she arrived at a cliff and landed there, watching the stars and thinking. Why did she want to go back in time? Yeah, right. To find out if Vegeta was capable to love and to care. Well, now she knew the answer. And it was no. In all the time she was around him, he wasn't once gentle to her and the kiss proved, that he just wanted her for her body, for that she was a Saiyajin, probably to bear his children. There was no sign that he just cared for her. Nothing. Okay, mission failed. But she couldn't and didn't want to go home now. First she had to erase the memories of both, Vegeta and Nappa, secondly, she had to see her grandfather and third, her bag was still at their room. After a bit thinking, she decided that she would go to them before she planned on leaving in two days in the morning. Until then, she had to stay away from them, him. But she didn't know what she should do once she was back in her own time, when she was confronted with Vegeta. After all, he would be her father-in-law. Pan groaned and laid back. She shouldn't have come here in the first place. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Hey Vegeta." Nappa greeted the prince, as he entered their room.

"She isn't here?" he wanted to know.

"Who? Pan? No… I thought she was with you… What  happened?"

"She flew away." Vegeta answered simply and laid down in his bed.

"Don't worry Vegeta. She will come back. You're the Prince, after all. Why should she refuse such an offer?" Nappa tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, you're right." Vegeta said and closed his eyes. Maybe a bit sleep will help to make this strange feeling, which he felt since Pan left, go away.

 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pan had stayed on the cliff the whole time since the night before, but as the sun began to set, she felt that it was time for her to go and erase their memories. So, she took off into the sky and flew back to the city, hoping that everything went smoothly.

Vegeta was walking through the streets of that city. Pan still hadn't shown up and they had to leave tomorrow. And he couldn't find her with his scouter. It was almost, as if she'd left this planet. The whole day, he couldn't think of anything but her. Every time he meant that he saw her, his heart made a small jump, and it seemed to sink even deeper, when he realized that it wasn't her. Groaning, he leaned with his forehead against a wall of an empty building in a dark alley. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he shouted and punched with his fist against the wall, forcing it to almost break down. "I'm becoming soft… Is that it? Am I becoming soft?"

As Vegeta raised his head again and looked back to the road, he suddenly saw her, crossing it. "Woman!" he shouted, but she didn't hear him. "WOMAN!" This time, Pan heard it and looked up, seeing Vegeta standing on the side of the road, where she wanted to go. She stopped in the middle of the street, trying to decide whether to go or not to go to him. Suddenly she heard him shouting again. "WOMAN! WATCH OUT!" Pan looked to her left side, and suddenly saw a vehicle coming towards her in an amazing speed, and before she even knew it, it crashed into her. Since Pan kept her ki low all the time, she wasn't prepared to get hit with this force and felt herself flying to the ground. Instinctively she grabbed at her waist, feeling if the capsule was still alright, and much to her relief, it was, before she lost consciousness.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As Pan woke up, she awaited to be in some kind of hospital, but as she looked at her surroundings, she noticed that she was in the room of Vegeta and Nappa. She groaned, as she tried to get up and had to squeeze her eyes shut, but someone was pushing her gently back into the bed. "What happened?" she asked, eyes still shut.

"You were hit by a vehicle. You've been out for two hours. You could be glad that you are a Saiyajin, otherwise you would be dead right now." she heard a familiar voice saying.

"Vegeta?"

"Yes, it's me." he said and for the first time since she had been in the past, she could hear softness in his voice. She then felt a wet cloth on her forehead and opened her eyes again. "Don't do something like that again, Pan. I hate losing good fighters in my team."

Not just that she could now hear softness in his voice, he called her by her name and his eyes also went soft, showing worry. "Where's Nappa?" she asked.

"I sent him away. It isn't good, when too many people are around you."

"Since when do you care?"

Vegeta sighed, and Pan had the impression that he was fighting with himself, as if he should tell her something, or not. "As I kissed you, something happened to me. I can't tell what it is. It's a strange feeling I've never had before. A feeling that's making me soft. Me, the stone-hearted killer of Frieza's army, soft." he said finally, chuckling lightly.

"Your heart is not of stone."

"Not?" Vegeta asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed, with the back to Pan. "I've wiped out entire races and I didn't even care. But that's what protected me from Frieza, the monster, who liked to torture me since my early childhood. He couldn't get near me, when I wasn't showing anything. The only thing that made me go on was my pride and the hope to get strong enough to kill him."

"Vegeta…" Pan felt, how tears were running down her cheeks. She always suggested that Vegeta's past was pure horror, but he never told anyone about it. Just Bulma knew about his past. She was the only one he opened up to, because he… loved her.

"The moment I saw you lying there on the street, I knew that I would do anything for you. I would even stop killing… Is it that, what some species are calling "Love"?" he wanted to know and turned around. Pan simply nodded and slowly sat up. 

He slowly leaned forward, and as Pan saw in his eyes, she could see it. The loving and caring side of Vegeta. Vegeta was leaning closer and their lips touched in a kiss. But this time it was a gentle and soft kiss. 

As they pulled apart, Pan could just look away, not wanting to meet his gaze. "Vegeta… I… I can't do this… I'm sorry, but I don't love you this way."

"What?" Vegeta asked disappointed.

"I'm really sorry… I love you as a friend, but not the way you love me… I'm already in love with someone else… And he loves me the same way… I've bonded with him." Pan said, carefully not to destroy anything in Vegeta.

"Really? How…? Who…?" 

"He's someone I know since I was little. He was one of the persons who truly cared for me. I-I have a picture if you want to see it…" Pan looked at him and he nodded. "It's in my bag."

Vegeta went over to the table, where the bag was standing and opened it. Inside he found different clothes and something that looked like a frame. As he took it out, something orange fell out of the bag on the floor, unnoticed by both of them. "Is it him?" he asked and pointed at the picture in the frame. 

"Yes, it's him." 

The picture showed Trunks wearing a dark blue Saiyan armor, his mother made for him for training, in the trade mark Vegeta stance. "He looks strong, but also strange, with this purple hair. Is he worth of you?"

Pan nodded smiling. "Yes, he is.."

"But he's older…"

"14 years… he's 14 years older than I am."

"As long as you are happy…" Vegeta said, smiling sadly.

"Vegeta… I'm really sorry…"

"I'll go and get something to drink… You want something, too?" Vegeta asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah…" Vegeta left the room, and Pan got out one of the small bags with the powder of a pocket in her armor. A short time later, Vegeta arrived with two glasses of water. He put them on a small table next to the bed and took the picture frame back into Pan's bag. Pan used the time and put the white powder unnoticed into Vegeta's glass. She emptied her drink within a few gulps, and Vegeta did the same with his drink as he came back to the bed.

"But you're still coming with us, aren't you?" Vegeta wanted to know, but Pan shook her head.

"I fear not. One of the reasons I have been here, was to find out if you know how to care or to love. But be sure, even though I'm gone, you'll find someone else, who loves you the same way you love her. " Pan told him sincerely. Just after she said that, Vegeta's head fell on the bed, and the prince was snoring lightly. Pan somehow managed to get out of the bed and to her bag, taking out a senzu bean and swallowed it. "Ah, that's much better." she said and walked over to Vegeta, picking him up and laying him in his bed. "Goodbye Vegeta. I see you in the future." Pan grabbed her bag and left the room. "And now up to Nappa." She knew, it would be difficult to get the large Saiyajin to swallow this powder, so she already mixed some water with it in a bottle.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pan found Nappa just after a few minutes, because of his ki and landed behind him. "Hello Nappa."

"Pan, there you are… I don't know why, but Vegeta looks for you everywhere…"

"I know… He found me, we talked, and I put him to sleep."

"What are you talking about?" Nappa asked, slowly getting enraged.

"I meant it as I said it… Oh, and besides, I won't come with you tomorrow. And here. Drink this." she said and showed him the bottle.

"What is it? You want to poise me? Is it that what you did to him? And I trusted you." With that, Nappa lunged and Pan, but she easily blocked his attack with one arm. "What… How?"

"I've had a good teacher." she said as she kicked him in his stomach, letting him fly backwards. Groggily he got back up. "What? Still not enough?" She stretched her arm in a 90° angle from her body, pointing with the palm. "Big Bang Attack!" As she said that, a blue beam of ki came out of her palm, knocking Nappa out. "That was easy. I didn't even have to go Super Saiyan. Now you'll have to drink it, but before I'll give you this." She took out another senzu, crunched it between her fingers and put it in his mouth, forcing him to swallow it with the water she brought. After that, she grabbed him and teleported herself and him back into their room, laying him on his bed and left again with the instantaneous movement and went back to earth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As Vegeta and Nappa woke up the next morning, they didn't remember anything about the happenings in the last week. They felt fresh after a good nights sleep, not knowing anymore what has happened the night before, neither Vegeta's declaration of love, nor Nappa's fight against Pan, ready for the battle.

"Nappa, are you ready? We have to leave soon, when we want to be on earth at 12 o'clock." Vegeta said, as he put on his left glove.

"Sure, Vegeta. I'm just waiting for you…" Nappa said, standing already in the door. "I'll go and call our pods, until you're ready." With that, Nappa left the room.

As Vegeta wanted to put on his right glove, it fell to the floor. Vegeta bowed down to pick it up, as he saw an orange cloth lying on the floor. He didn't know why, but somehow this cloth was drawing him nearer. He picked it up and without knowing directly why, he put it under his armor, just knowing that this thing was somehow meaning something to him. After putting on his other glove, he looked around one last time and left the hotel, where Nappa was already waiting with the pods. They got in and took off. Direction: Earth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pan felt immediately as Vegeta and Nappa arrived on earth, and the other fighters too, because she could feel them coming to the place where her father, well the kid-form of her father, and Piccolo were training. She had found the ideal place to watch the fight, without being noticed. She had been there since last night, and had watched her father and Piccolo to entertain herself a bit until the real fight started. She watched, how first Krillin arrived on the battlefield and shortly after him Vegeta and Nappa. After Tenshinhan, Chao-zu and Yamcha arrived, the fight finally started. 'I should have brought some popcorn.' Pan thought smiling, because she didn't have to worry about what would happen. 'It's a good thing to know how this fight will end.' 

Pan was right, she should've brought some popcorn, because the fight was more interesting than she thought it would be. She watched how first Yamcha and then Chao-zu and Tenshinhan were killed. How Piccolo sacrificed himself to save her father's life and how finally Goku arrived. Pan felt tears dwelling up in her eyes, as she saw him. She wanted nothing more than to run up to him, hugging him and never let him go, but she knew, she couldn't do that. She saw how Vegeta killed Nappa, how he and Gohan turned Oozaru, how Yajirobi cut off Vegeta's tail and how Goku told Krilling to spare Vegeta's life. But the whole time she was ready to step in, if something didn't go like it should've gone, to protect her friends and the earth.

The same night, Pan was hovering in front of the window of the hospital room, where her grandfather was lying in. She was debating with herself of whether to go in or not. She still had one of the bags with the powder, that means she could still erase his memory.

Goku was lying in this strange bed in his room, with eyes closed, but fully awake. Gohan was lying in the bed next to him, sleeping like a stone. It was the first time since a whole year that he could sleep in a bed again, so nothing could wake him up that night. But no matter how tired Goku was. He couldn't sleep. He was thinking about the fight, if it was really the right thing to let Vegeta go and about this small, well hid ki he felt near the battle field, and which was now in front of his window. If he could have got up, he would've opened the window to let the person in. At the same moment, he thought about it, the window opened and since he was lying with his head to the window, he could just see a shadow slipping in. "Who are you?" Goku asked in a whisper, causing the figure to nearly shrieking.

"Let's say I'm a friend." Pan told him finally, feeling new tears in his eyes. She was actually speaking with her grandfather, who left her about ten years ago.

"You're crying…" Goku stated. He heard it in her voice. "Why?"

"Nothing… just… nothing." the woman said, wiping the tears away.

"And, what are you doing here?" 

"I- I wanted to see you. Not more."

"See me? Why?" Goku wanted to know.

"You fought great…" Pan said, changing the subject.

"Thank you… But why were you there? If you're a fighter, you could have helped us. You seem to be pretty strong… Who trained you?"

"You're embarrassing me…" Pan said, thanking Dende, err, Kami that it was dark in the room. "Two excellent and incredible strong fighters trained me. Many people say that they're the strongest fighters in the universe. Thanks to their training, I could've defeated Vegeta and Nappa with my left hand, but I wasn't allowed to do that. It was your fight."

"Uhm… Can you please bring me something to drink, uhm… what was your name?"

"Pan… My name is Pan." the woman said, as she walked over to a table she could see in the light of the stars, where a glass of water was standing. Unnoticed, she put the powder in it, and put it at Gokus lips, letting him drink it fully. As she was leaning down to him, she was so near that Goku could see her eyes.

"Pan… When you're really that strong, I want to ask you, if you could train me. We have to go to Namek, in order to find the Namek Dragonballs. And I'm sure I will meet Vegeta there."

"I know, but I can't. I have to go home. But I promise you, everything will be okay on Namek. And you did a right thing with sparing Vegeta. Believe me." Pan said softly, knowing that Goku won't remember anything of what she just told him.

"What? How do you know…?" Goku asked as he fell asleep.

Pan smiled down at him. "Goodbye grandpa. I love you." She kissed him on the forehead and left the hospital room again through the window.

After Pan flew a while, she arrived again in the desert, where the time machine landed one week ago. She decapsuled the machine and jumped in it, setting the date for her home. Taking a deep breath, she pushed a few buttons and the machine took off.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Since Pan has left, Trunks spent day and night in the laboratory, waiting for her return. He didn't get much sleep in the last week. He was still questioning himself, what he could have done, so that she would just leave like that. Even though he didn't know why she left, he was blaming himself for it, and he didn't know if he could get on with his life, if something happened to her in the past, or in the future or wherever she was. Bulma always brought him his meals down, but he almost never touched anything of it. Everyone was worried about Pan, everyone except of Vegeta. He was calm as usually, doing the same he was always doing: Training.

Trunks had just drifted into a troubled sleep with his head on the table in the lab early in the morning, as the time machine appeared in the middle of it. Trunks woke up by the glaring light, but had to blink a few times for his eyes to adjust at the light in the lab, but as he saw the time machine, he was immediately fully awake. "Panny!" he shouted and jumped up, opening it and climbing inside, finding Pan lying unconscious in the seat. "Pan! Wake up! Pan!" he shouted, shaking her gently. Pan began to stir and the first thing she saw, were Trunks' crystal blue eyes.

"Trunks!" she shouted and swung her arms around his neck. "Have you missed me?"

"Missed you? I was worried sick! What were you thinking about disappearing like this? Are you okay?" 

"First, I told you not to worry, secondly, I just had to do this and thirdly, yes, I'm okay." Pan told him grinning. "And now I have to take a shower and I have to eat something." She grabbed her bag and jumped out of the machine. "In the meantime, you can tell the others that I'm back and okay." Without another word, she put two fingers at her forehead and disappeared. Trunks just shook his head. That was his Pan.

After taking a shower, Pan dressed herself in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and was now searching for something in her bag. "Damn! Where is it?" At that moment, Trunks entered the room.

"What are you looking for?" he asked as he put his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"My bandana! I must've lost it as I was in the past, but I don't know where."

"You lost your bandana? How is that possible? I mean, you never take your eyes of it."

"I know… But it's lost now… I can't find it…"

"Well, how about you're looking for it later. I've called your father and he and your family is now in the living room. ChiChi cooked something for you." Trunks told her, trying to cheer her up.

"Really? What are we waiting for! Let's go!" Pan took Trunks' hand and dragged him behind her to the living room.

Pan ate like she hadn't eaten in days. The food on that planet wasn't nearly as good as the food of her grandmother, and there she couldn't eat as much as she wanted. Just a few minutes later, she ate everything ChiChi cooked and was now lying back in Trunks' arms. 

"Okay, Pan, now tell us. What were you thinking? Just taking the time machine without telling anyone?" Gohan asked her.

"I'm sorry daddy. But I just had to do that. As I saw the time machine, I had to use it to see grandpa again. And I knew I could." Pan half-lied. 

"You took the time machine to see Goku again?" ChiChi wanted to know and Pan nodded. "And? How was he?"

Pan chuckled. "He was just like I remembered him. But I just talked to him for a few minutes, and then I erased his memory of me. But that was enough." she said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Panny." Gohan said and hugged his daughter tightly. "It's okay… I guess I would've done the same thing. But please tell us where you're planning to go if you want to do something like that again."

"I promise daddy."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The same night, Pan was sitting at the beach, thinking again of everything that has happened in the last week and that day. The rushing of the water always calmed her down and helped her to relax. Almost everyone had been there to welcome her back, just Vegeta didn't show up, but that was just like him. Luckily everyone has believed her that she just wanted to go back to see Goku. She didn't know how the others would react, if she told them her true motive. But what she found out, was more than she's ever expected. Vegeta has fully opened up to her. He told her about his horrible childhood, and he declared his love for her. 'And he is a damn good kisser.' Pan thought smirking.

Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her in the sand. As she looked around, she saw no one else than the Prince himself. "Vegeta. What are you doing here?" Pan asked, but he didn't answer and sat down next to her.

"You've lost this." he simply said as he handed her the bandana. 

"Thank you. Where did you find it? Was it in the lab?"

"No, I found it under the table the morning after you left." Pan stared at him in shock. "It must have fallen out of your bag, as I was searching for the picture of Trunks." He smirked at Pan, but as he saw her shocked face, his face softened. "Yes, I remember. Everything from one of the most wonderful weeks in my life."

Pan blushed deeply. "But how?"

"You don't forget your first love that easily. But I must admit, I first remembered those things the day you were born. We were all gathered in the hospital room of your mother, Bulma dragged me there. She was holding you, as she suddenly walked up to me and put you into my arms. As you opened your eyes, everything of that week flashed again in front of my eyes. I've heard, you've talked with Kakarotto, because I think he recognized you, too. As I was holding you, staring into your eyes, he was playing with you. Bulma asked, what your name was, but your parents didn't decide for a name yet, that was when suddenly both Kakarotto and me said it. Pan. Stunned, they looked up at us, and your mother began to smile and said that it was a beautiful name."

"Wow…" Pan just said. "Dad told me that you and grandpa came up with my name, but I thought he was joking."

"No… he wasn't. Pan, you were the first one I fell in love with. You woke something in me. Something that was hid before in my heart. I didn't even know that it was there. If I hadn't met you, I would have surely killed Bulma and that baldie on Namek as I met them there, because I didn't know them well enough. But this thing in my heart, you woke up, stopped me from doing so. Thanks to you, I was able to fall in love with Bulma. And she fell in love with me, just like you said. I just want to say thank you, thank you for everything."

"I have to thank you Vegeta... For opening up to me." she said moved.

"Pan, may I ask you for one last thing?" He looked at her and she nodded. "I want to kiss you one last time. To say goodbye to my first love. Is that okay with you?" Pan didn't answer and instead leaned up to him and kissed him softly and short on the lips. "Goodbye Pan." He smiled at her and stood up, flying away. Pan also dusted herself off and flew back to Capsule Corporation, where Trunks was probably already waiting for her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The same night, Bulma was already waiting for Vegeta in their bedroom, as he came through the door of the balcony in the room. "Hey Vegeta, where have you been all day long?"

"Somewhere, thinking…" he sat down on the bed and hesitated. "Bulma, I have to tell you something. Shortly before I came to earth, Nappa and I made another stopover on a planet not far away. On that planet, I met a woman. She was beautiful and I fell in love with her. Through her way of acting, talking, just being, she reached me somewhere deep down in my heart and woke something up. First I couldn't show it, but after she had an accident and I thought that she would die, I told her. I opened up to her fully, like I opened up to you. But without her, I don't think that I would've ever been able to fall in love with you, or to tell you how much I love you."

"What happened to her? Did she…?" Bulma, who was listening, asked.

"No, she survived. But after I told her my feelings, she told me that she already was in love with someone else. The next morning, she was gone and I suppressed that she ever existed and forgot her. I just remembered it a couple of years ago, but didn't have the courage to tell you until now."

"Oh, Vegeta." Bulma said and hugged him tightly. They were like this for several minutes, but then they went to bed, and just a short time later, she could hear Vegeta snoring next to her. She looked over to him and smiled. "Thank you Pan." she whispered and then also fell asleep in his arms.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A few weeks later, at a Saturday, it was a day like every day at Capsule Corporation. Vegeta was training in the gravity room, Bulma was working in her lab and Pan and Trunks were lying on the couch in the living room, as they suddenly heard a loud noise from the outside. "Oh no, not again." Trunks groaned. At exactly that moment, they heard the stumping of an angry Saiyan Prince passing the living room. 

"WOMAN!" he shouted and went directly to the lab. "The gravity room broke down again. I need you to fix it."

"NO VEGETA! I'M WORKING HERE!"

"You'll do it now! Or I will…"

"Or you will what? Killing me?" Trunks and Pan were all too well used to this kind of fight, but what came next, surprised them. Because there came simply nothing. No shouting, no door slamming. Just silence. Worried and at the same time curious, Pan and Trunks went to the laboratory, and what they saw there, they didn't expect, well at least not Trunks. Bulma and Vegeta were standing in the middle of the laboratory, engaged in a deep and the same time soft kiss.

Pan closed Trunks mouth again, whose jaw had dropped to the floor literally and then smirked at him. "See? I told you he loves her, somewhere deep down in his heart."

THE END 

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So, as I already said, this was a sudden idea that was in my head. I hope you liked it.

But please review.

Eternally yours

ChibiChibi


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